| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Alcibiades I by Plato: can there be agreement about matters which the one party knows, and of
which the other is in ignorance?
ALCIBIADES: Impossible.
SOCRATES: And when individuals are doing their own work, are they doing
what is just or unjust?
ALCIBIADES: What is just, certainly.
SOCRATES: And when individuals do what is just in the state, is there no
friendship among them?
ALCIBIADES: I suppose that there must be, Socrates.
SOCRATES: Then what do you mean by this friendship or agreement about
which we must be wise and discreet in order that we may be good men? I
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: "I don't dare; I feel as if he were behind me." She turned away,
fixing her eyes on the picture. A sound startled her. "There he
comes, and I haven't spoken! It was my only chance; but it
bewilders me so to be hurried."
"I don't hear any one," said Wyant, listening. "Try to tell me."
"How can I make you understand? It would take so long to
explain." She drew a deep breath, and then with a plunge--"Will
you come here again this afternoon--at about five?" she
whispered.
"Come here again?"
"Yes--you can ask to see the picture,--make some excuse. He will
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Touchstone by Edith Wharton: "Then it ought not to have been published till it had become a
classic. It's horrible, it's degrading almost, to read the
secrets of a woman one might have known." She added, in a lower
tone, "Stephen DID know her--"
"Did he?" came from Flamel.
"He knew her very well, at Hillbridge, years ago. The book has
made him feel dreadfully . . . he wouldn't read it . . . he didn't
want me to read it. I didn't understand at first, but now I can
see how horribly disloyal it must seem to him. It's so much worse
to surprise a friend's secrets than a stranger's."
"Oh, Glennard's such a sensitive chap," Flamel said, easily; and
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe: recover, as indeed he did, though very slowly.
Were it otherwise than what I am going to say, I should not
be backward to disclose it, as it is apparent I have done in
other cases in this account; but I affirm, that through all this
conversation, abating the freedom of coming into the chamber
when I or he was in bed, and abating the necessary offices of
attending him night and day when he was sick, there had not
passed the least immodest word or action between us. Oh
that it had been so to the last!
After some time he gathered strength and grew well apace,
and I would have removed my pallet-bed, but he would not
Moll Flanders |
